Applying for a mortgage loan means you’ll need to provide quite a few documents to show the lender (bank) that you are a good risk for them to lend money to in order to purchase a home. Here is a list of the information you’ll need to gather for this process.

Current Paycheck Stubs — several months of steady paycheck verification.

W-2 forms for the past 2 years — these show your income from your jobs.

Bank Statements — Checking and savings account statements.

Investment Statements — Gather statements for any 401Ks, IRAs, CDs, and accounts you have with a brokerage or for stock.

Whole Life Insurance — statement reflecting the accumulated cash value of your whole life insurance to date.

Other Income Verification — did your parents gift you money to help with the house? You’ll need a gift letter from them verifying the amount. Do you receive child support, alimony, rental property income? Bring proof of these as well.

Loans and Credit Cards — Bring a statement for all your debt including car loans, medical bills, personal loans, student loans and any credit cards.

Identity Verification — Driver’s license, Social Security card, copies of your leases for the past few years if you rent, or documentation of your current home if you own a home already including all the mortgage information about that home, and any immigration paperwork if applicable.

It will make the process easier and smoother to gather all this upfront before your first meeting.